, why--why did they not hurry?

The pelting of the rain on the window prevented her from hearing the
entrance of Colonel McVeigh and the Judge, while the curtain hid her
effectually; it was not until she turned to cross the room into the
hall that she was aware of the two men beside the table, each with
documents and papers of various sorts, which they were arranging. The
Judge held one over which he hesitated; looking at the younger man
thoughtfully, and finally he said:

"The rest are all right, Kenneth; it was not for those I wanted to see
you alone, but for this. I could not have it come under your mother's
notice, and the settlement has already been delayed too long, but your
absence, first abroad, then direct to the frontier, and then our own
war, and Mr. Loring's illness--"

He was rambling along inconsequently; McVeigh glanced at him,
questioningly; it was so rare a thing to see the Judge ill at ease
over any legal transaction, but he plainly was, now; and when his
client reached over and took the paper from his hand he surrendered it
and broke off abruptly his rambling explanation.

McVeigh unfolded the paper and glanced at it with an incredulous
frown.

"What is the meaning of this agreement to purchase a girl of color,
aged twelve, named Rhoda Larue? We have bought no colored people from
the Lorings, nor from any one else."

"The girl was contracted for without your knowledge, my boy, before
your majority, in fact; though she is mentioned there as a girl of
color she was to all appearances perfectly white, the daughter of an
octaroon, and also the daughter of Tom Loring."

The woman back of the curtain was listening now with every sense
alert, never for one instant had it occurred to her that Kenneth
McVeigh did not know! How she listened for his next words!

"And why should a white girl like that be bought for the McVeigh
plantation?"

There was a pause; then Clarkson laid down the other papers, and faced
him, frankly:

"Kenneth, my boy, she was never intended for the McVeigh plantation,
but was contracted for, educated, given certain accomplishments that
she might be a desirable personal property of yours when you were
twenty."

McVeigh was on his feet in an instant, his blue eyes flaming.

"And who arranged this affair?--not--my father?"

"No."

"Thank God for that! Go on, who was accountable?"

"Your guardian, Matthew Loring. He explains that he made the
arrangement, having in mind th